WHC Internet Marketing Guide
Auto Responders
Auto responders are emailing systems that enable you to enter a series of email messages and have them automatically delivered on a fixed schedule to each person who subscribes. For example, message one could be delivered immediately, message two the next day, message three a week later, etc.
Auto responder systems also allow you to send "broadcast" emails to your entire mailing list at any time.
Of course, you don't necessarily have to set up any auto response messages -- you could stick to just broadcasts. Nor do you ever have to send broadcasts.
While there are "desktop" auto responder programs available that run from your computer or your server, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble and get your emails delivered more reliably if you use an auto responder service.
If you send from your own computer or server:
- You'll use a lot of your own bandwidth every time you send a message.
- If someone sends a spam complaint (which can happen even if you do everything by the book) to a blacklist provider, your IP address can get blocked from sending email to many people, and you'll have to do the work to get off the blacklist. Reputable service providers are unlikely to get blacklisted, and if they do, they'll take care of getting unblacklisted.
The auto responder I use is AWeber. They're probably the most widely used service. Another service of similar size and reputation is GetResponse.
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